"Despicable act", "Scumbag move": Austin Watson's last-second shot hitting Jeremy Lauzon has fans demanding action against Lightning winger

Austin Watson found himself at the center of controversy in the closing moments of the Predators vs. Lightning game on Thursday, leaving fans and analysts demanding action against the Tampa Bay Lightning winger. The intense matchup took a violent turn when Watson engaged in a heated fight with Cole Smith, resulting in both players receiving five-minute penalties.

The altercation escalated quickly, with hard punches exchanged, helmets flying off, and both players crashing to the ice. However, it didn't end there. In the waning seconds of the game, Watson unleashed a seemingly unprovoked slapshot that hit Jeremy Lauzon, raising eyebrows and tempers across the hockey community.

Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette minced no words in his disapproval, saying:

"I did not like that at all. No place for that in the game. No place at all."

The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from fans, who are now calling for disciplinary action against Watson for his last-second shot toward Lauzon.

Hockey fans took to Twitter in a storm of outrage following Austin Watson's shocking behavior in the game.

As the league reviews the footage and assesses the consequences of Austin Watson's controversial actions, the incident serves as a reminder that sportsmanship and respect must prevail even in the most intense moments of the game. Fans eagerly await the league's response as they advocate for accountability and fair play on the ice.

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Austin Watson's Lightning Struggle: Predators Dominate 5-1 victory

The Tampa Bay Lightning faced a 5-1 defeat against the Nashville Predators in a game marked by key moments and powerful performances. Boris Barre-Boulet opened the scoring for the Lightning at 13:32 in the first period, courtesy of a well-executed play initiated by Anthony Cirelli and finished by Brandon Hagel.

The Predators responded emphatically, with Juuso Parssinen equalizing on the power play at 17:14, displaying resilience and capitalizing on McDonagh's shot deflection off Philip Tomasino.

Nashville continued to dominate in the second period, as Filip Forsberg secured a 2-1 lead with a precise wrist shot at 2:37. McDonagh redeemed himself, extending the Predators' lead to 3-1 at 4:32 with a backhand rebound.

Captain Roman Josi further widened the gap to 4-1 at 6:11 in the third period, showcasing his offensive prowess with a well-placed wrist shot. The game concluded with Yakov Trenin sealing the victory for Nashville at 5-1 with an empty-net goal at 13:13. The Predators' solid special-teams performance proved decisive, leaving the Lightning searching for answers.